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Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 2022, 10, 77-97
https://www.scirp.org/journal/jhrss
ISSN Online: 2328-4870
ISSN Print: 2328-4862
Human Resource Development Practices and
Employees’ Performance in a Ghanaian
University: A Case of the University of
Cape Coast
1 1 2
Blessed Ashmond , Alexander Opoku-Danso , Rebecca Asiedu Owusu
1School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
2School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
How to cite this paper: Ashmond, B., Abstract
Opoku-Danso, A., & Owusu, R. A. (2022). The development of human resource is as important as managing it. This
Human Resource Development Practices
and Employees’ Performance in a Gha- current study examines human resource development practices and employ-
naian University: A Case of the University ees’ performance in the University of Cape Coast. Using both qualitative and
of Cape Coast. Journal of Human Resource quantitative research design, the study used a sample of 30 respondents from
and Sustainability Studies, 10, 77-97. a homogenous staff population in the University of Cape Coast. Data were
https://doi.org/10.4236/jhrss.2022.101006 obtained from both primary and secondary sources. It was observed that
Received: December 8, 2021 formal classroom training is the most appropriate to offer staff with the ade-
Accepted: March 5, 2022 quate knowledge to perform one’s job. It was also observed that training and
Published: March 8, 2022 development programmes initiated at the individual level is effective and
most appropriate as compared to training and development organised for
Copyright © 2022 by author(s) and
Scientific Research Publishing Inc. staff at the group level. The research article makes some recommendations
This work is licensed under the Creative for policy implication and this includes encouraging staff to embark on fur-
Commons Attribution International ther studies to upgrade and add up to the knowledge required to perform
License (CC BY 4.0). their work. Also, the University of Cape Coast could consider having a pool
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ of training programmes that staff could pick and choose for their further
Open Access
studies or their training programmes. Through the staff appraisal report
forms filled and submitted by Heads of Department on behalf of their staff,
the Directorate of Human Resource of the University of Cape Coast could
tailor training and staff development programmes for individual staff or en-
courage and sponsor individual staff to undertake training and development
programmes to equip them with the knowledge and skills that they lack as
identified on the staff appraisal report forms.
Keywords
Employees’ Performance, Human Resource Development (HRD), Training
DOI: 10.4236/jhrss.2022.101006 Mar. 8, 2022 77 Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies
B. Ashmond et al.
and Development (T & D), Human Capital, Institution of Higher Learning,
University of Cape Coast (UCC)
1. Introduction
1.1. Background to the Study
The development of human resource is as important as managing the human
capital in any business establishment. Employees from time to time are given
some form of training and staff development programmes to equip them to be
abreast with constant change in technology and modern way of doing things.
Human resource development strategies are set of systematic and planned ac-
tivities designed by an organisation to provide its members with the necessary
skills, knowledge, and capabilities to meet current and future job demands, in
order to enable them provide better services and create good relations with cus-
tomers and customer satisfaction (Adhikari, 2010). One aspect of human re-
source development that directly impacts on employees’ performance and has
attracted the attention of many social scientists and human resource practitio-
ners is training and development.
Training and development practices positively impact organisational per-
formance through employee satisfaction and customer loyalty and satisfied in-
ternal customers are conducive to increasing the productivity (Molina & Ortega,
2003). Staff training and development programmes are a set of systematic and
planned activities designed by an organisation to provide its members with the
necessary skills to meet current and future job demands (Ratha, 2016). The uni-
versity as a higher academic institution undertakes career development pro-
grammes to train employees to be abreast with modern way of doing things.
Training improves the knowledge, skills and attitudes of employees for the short
term, particular to specific job or task. Staff development prepares staff for fu-
ture responsibilities, while increasing the capacity to perform at a current job.
Staff training and development (T & D) in the university as a higher educational
institution solve a variety of manpower problems which militate against opti-
mum productivity. These problems can emerge within any groups. Kayode (2001)
notes that these problems differ in nature and yet all have a common denomi-
nator, the solution required individuals to their appreciative backgrounds spe-
cific identifiable items of additional knowledge skills or understanding. In the
university administration, these problems, in the opinion of Asgarkhani (2004)
include the needs to:
• Increase productivity
• Improve the quality of work and raise morale
• Develop new skills, knowledge, understanding and attitude
• Use correctly new tools, machines, processes, methods or modifications thereof
• Reduce waste, accidents, turnover, lateness, absenteeism, and other over-
DOI: 10.4236/jhrss.2022.101006 78 Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies
B. Ashmond et al.
heads costs
• Implement new or changed policies or regulations
• Fight obsolescence in skills, technologies, methods, products, markets, capital
management etc.
• Bring incumbents to that level of performance which meets 100 percent of
the standard of performance for the job
• Develop replacements, prepare people for advancement, improve manpower
deployment and ensure continuity of leadership
• Ensure the survival and growth of the organisation
Staff T & D is very crucial in determining increase productivity and job satis-
faction. Training new employees is estimated to cost approximately fifty percent
of annual salary paid to workers (Boyens, 2007). University administration and
management engage corporate management that is able to fulfil its objectives
with the support of human resource development (HRD). The sustenance and
progress of operation of higher education and other corporate sectors are inevi-
table without human resource dynamism (Pattanayak, 2003).
University management prefers the trained, professionals and specialised hu-
man resource (HR) for the achievement of planned objectives. Issues of ethics,
success, competence of workers and ability of staff to perform up to required in-
ternational standards are attained through quality HRD (Hellriegel et al., 2001).
Institutions of higher learning employ and train staff to be able to cope with
constant changes in technology. Bates (1999) observes that learning and staff de-
velopment organised by corporate entities and individual level could translate to
employees organisational performance. Employees’ needs assessment is vital to
determine which kind of T & D programmes required to do a particular job.
Sutherland & Jordaan (2004) contends that companies with high quality HR per-
form better and deliver higher and more consistent returns to ensure the growth
of the companies.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (UNDP, 2005) posits
that human development is about freedom. It is about building human capabili-
ties, the range of things that people can do. Individual freedom and rights matter
a great deal, but people are restricted in what they can do with that freedom if
they are poor, ill discriminated against, threatened by violent conflict or denied a
political voice. Provision of HRD programmes for staff in the university and
academic institutions of higher learning is not enough to ensure optimum utili-
sation of skills and training offered to staff.
Sarbeng (2014) posits that, the performance of every organisation depends
largely on the quality of their human resource. In addition, the nature of staff
development policies and programmes in a higher academic institution impacts
on its human resource skills and capabilities. In a research conducted in the
University of Cape Coast on the assessment of staff training and development
policies of University of Cape Coast, Sarbeng (2014) further argues that although
the training policy in the University of Cape Coast is not perceived as fair; it has
DOI: 10.4236/jhrss.2022.101006 79 Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies
B. Ashmond et al.
however, helped in the capacity building of the university and improved staff
performance.
1.2. Problem Statement
A key goal of human resource development is to improve the performance in an
organisation by maximising the efficiency and productivity of human resources.
Human Resource Development plays a major role in creating and sustaining ca-
pabilities, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the company. However,
adopting a capability-driven approach to HRD is not the only concern of HRD
managers, but also requires formulation of appropriate forms of management
and business strategy (Mikko, 2000). London (1983) mentions learning and de-
velopment orientation as one of many dimensions that compose the construct as
career development. Learning and development orientation programmes take
place at the group and individual initiated levels. Bates (1999) opines that learning
at the individually level rather translates into their organisational performance.
Universities have established a Training and Development Sections to coor-
dinate staff T & D activities and to implement programmes of the institutions.
The T & D policies of the universities aim at providing advice, opportunities, fa-
cilities and sponsorship (full or partial) to enable employees to train in the criti-
cal areas of specialties and needs (UCC, 2011). However, provision of T & D
policies should complement the relevance of T & D programmes to the job per-
formance and also, the ability of staff to transfer knowledge acquired through T
& D on to the job.
The University of Cape Coast has been able to develop a number of staff in
and outside Ghana (DHR, 2012; Sarbeng, 2014). However, the strategies in as-
sessing the effectiveness of T & D programmes to staff performance are direct
and affect the outcome and implications of the T & D programmes. The focus of
this current study is to examine human resource development practices and em-
ployees’ performance in the University of Cape Coast.
1.3. Objectives of the Study
The general objective of the study is to assess human resource development
practice and employees’ performance of staff of Ghanaian universities. Specifi-
cally, the study will achieve the following objectives:
1) To investigate the policies and procedure adopted by the University of
Cape Coast to train and develop staff.
2) To determine the relevance of the knowledge and skills obtained from
training and development programmes unto the job.
3) To ascertain whether training and development at the individual or group
level translates into enhancing job performance.
4) To verify whether staff training and development policies of UCC comple-
ment T & D programmes and translate into employee performance.
5) To investigate the strategies adopted by UCC to assess the effectiveness of T
DOI: 10.4236/jhrss.2022.101006 80 Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies
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